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El Paso's Tattoo & Music Festival, nation's largest, to take over El Paso County Coliseum

By Margaret Gallardo / El Paso Times

Posted:
07/17/2014 10:57:25 AM MDT

George Galindo, president of the Texas Showdown Tattoo & Music Festival, is once again hosting the nation's largest festival at the El Paso County Coliseum on July 18-20. Galindo is an El Paso native and a graduate of Jefferson High School. (VICTOR CALZADA — EL PASO TIMES)

In just five years, the Texas Showdown Tattoo & Music Festival has left its mark.

It is now considered the nation's largest tattoo and music festival and it was created in El Paso.

"It is a homegrown festival, born right here in El Paso," said George Galindo, president and promoter of the festival. "It is our fifth annual festival, and now, we have shows in Florida, Michigan, Connecticut, New York, Oklahoma — and think, it all started right here."

"After traveling to tattoo conventions all over the country and doing this for many years, I realized El Paso would be a great city to have a show," added the Jefferson High School graduate. "During my travels, I had made some really good friends, some of them were on TV shows. I called them and invited them to the first Texas Showdown fest. We have been blessed that was five years ago."

The three-day festival July 18-20 at the El Paso County Coliseum will feature several music acts daily, including headliners Deftones, Drowning Pool and the main act Wu-Tang Clan, along with tattoo artists and a variety of sideshows, food, vendors, merchandise and more.

When Wu-Tang Clan emerged in 1993, it established itself as one of the most influential rap groups of the 1990s. The hip-hop group from New York City was originally composed of East Coast rappers RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard. Together they released five studio albums, 15 singles and 19 compilation albums, not including what each accomplished as solo artists. It is estimated that Wu-Tang has sold more than 6.5 million records in the United States and 40 million worldwide.

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"We are proud to say we have all national name acts performing this year," Galindo said.

Taking over the County Coliseum will be more than 300 tattoo artists from around the world and several TV special guest artists, including Joey Hamilton and Sara Miller from "Inkmasters," Clint Cummings from "Tattoo Nightmares Miami," Joey Tattoo from "Tattoo Rescue" and Alli Baker from "Best Ink," among many others. A dedicated area called Hollywood Row has been created just for the celebrity artists.

"People can walk right up to these celebrity artists, take a picture with them, get an autograph and even get tattooed by them," Galindo said.

More than 27,000 flooded into the festival last year, Galindo said. Ticket sales are currently ahead of last year's sales at this point for the festival, which has consistently grown each year, he added.

"El Paso has been very supportive every year, and the attendance numbers prove this," Galindo said. "(We)are very excited that we can produce the country's largest tattoo and music festival here in our own city.

"Good music, good food and good fun. It's a great way to enjoy a weekend."

Margaret Gallardo is entertainment editor for the El Paso Times.

What: Texas Showdown Tattoo & Music Festival.

When: Noon to 11 p.m. July 18-20.

Where: El Paso County Coliseum, 4100 E. Paisano.

Tickets: $30 daily; $75 three-day pass. Available at the El Paso County Coliseum Ticket Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, online at ticketmaster.com and by phone at 800-745-3000.